Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1516015
36 KEYFRAME RESEARCH AND ASK QUESTIONS The more you know about the situation you're entering, the better prepared you will be to construct a deal memo that works to your advantage. Websites like Glassdoor can be helpful in determining what past employees at a given studio have earned and can also provide a window into the work culture. Colleagues who have worked with a given studio—or for a specific Showrunner or Director—can also provide valuable insight. You'll want to know about your salary certainly, but also what a daily or weekly schedule will entail and what exactly is expected of you. Does production tend to run late? If so, what might this mean in terms of your workload? Colleagues, mentors, friends, and about-to-be coworkers can help prepare you. You'll know your own quote (the rate you have been previously paid or a rate you've decided is your bottom line and you don't want to be paid less), but it will be helpful to know what someone else in a similar position on the same production will be making as well. You can ask whomever you are negotiating with if yours is a "favored nations" deal—an industry term that means you're getting equal contractual provisions to others on the project. Items you can get clarification on include "vacation, sick days and holiday policy, retirement policy, and any yearly or production bonuses," says Alison Mann, Manager and President of Animation at Fourth Wall Management. " While speaking to the recruiter or production person [in charge of hiring], you can say directly, 'Thanks so much for the offer, I want to understand the full comp package, can you please share with me the following..." With these questions clearly answered and written into your deal memo, the less ambiguity there will be if an issue arises once you're hired. NEGOTIATE YOUR WORTH You should never forget that you know your own value more than the person looking to hire you. It's your job to convince an employer why they should hire you and nobody but you. "Employers still want to get you on the cheap," says Lori Shreve Blake, Senior Director for Career Engagement at the University of Southern California Career Center. "So it's incumbent upon the candidate or the new employee to negotiate and show that they are a thinking person. In some cases, it may be a component of the job to be able to speak up in a professional manner, so here it's on full display." Dollars and cents are always sensitive areas, both when you're applying for the job initially and when you're negotiating the final rate. Remember that rates that meet the minimum wage for your job category according to the Guild's Master Agreement represent a floor, not a ceiling. According to Blake, you can ask for a first offer in writing and request a day or two to think it over. It's good practice to avoid getting pinned down on an initial figure. If you are asked how much you're looking to earn, it's best to be vague ("I'm sure you'll pay me a competitive rate")— and, if pressed, give a salary range instead of a single number. Whenever possible, let the employer throw out the first figure. If you know what a job like the one you are seeking typically pays, one rule of thumb is to add 20 percent to your first counteroffer and negotiate down from there. "The person who mentions the number first loses," says Blake. "Let them be the first to come up with a number, and then do your research to see whether that's a fair offer." Even if the person hiring won't move much on salary, you might be able to negotiate perks. TAG member Christopher Amick recalls an experience in which he and his writing partner, Ben Mekler, were asked to help develop a feature film for a 36 KEYFRAME F E AT U R E